1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a construction tool used for an optical connector in which a mechanical splice is employed.
2. Related Background Art
An optical connector provided at a distal end with a capillary incorporating a short optical fiber is cited in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-121886 as an optical connector readily assembled on site. In this type of connector, a short optical fiber and an optical fiber to be assembled with a connector are connected (mechanically spliced) at the rear side of the capillary. The mechanical splicing is performed using a construction tool. A wedge of the construction tool is inserted inside a mechanical splicing part, the mechanical splicing part is placed in an opened state, a distal end of an unsheathed optical fiber is inserted from the proximal end into a V-shaped groove on the inside of the mechanical splicing part, and the optical fiber is connected to the short optical fiber. The wedge is then withdrawn, and the mechanical splicing part is placed in a closed state. The short optical fiber and the optical fiber to be assembled with a connector are thus capable of being coaxially anchored.
The construction tool cited in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-121886 cannot be manufactured inexpensively because a minimum of two components; i.e., a wedge and a base for securing the wedge, are required. Furthermore, the fact that the construction tool is formed using a plurality of components presents problems in that visible light escaping from the mechanical splicing part is not readily transmitted even if a transparent material is used, and completion of the assembly cannot be readily confirmed by visual observation.
FIG. 9 is a conceptual view of an optical connector cited in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-139212, the connector being provided with a tool. For this optical connector provided with the tool, the tool 1 is attached to an optical connector 3. The tool 1 comprises a connector holder part 11, an interposing member 5 that is inserted between, and opens, elements of a clamp part of the optical connector 3, and separate drive parts 7A, 7B, and a moveable end part 9 for linking the connector holder part 11 and the interposing member 5. The separate drive parts 7A, 7B are pressed from both sides, and linking wall parts 13a, 13b on either side are brought into closer proximity to each other, whereby the interposing member 5 inserted between the elements is withdrawn from the space between the elements, and the connecting portion of the optical fiber and the short optical fiber can be anchored.
The optical connector implement disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-139212 can only be obtained using flexible materials because the linking wall parts 13a, 13b must be deformed by lateral pressure despite being integrally constructed as a single component. Accordingly, a problem is presented in that wedge creep tends to occur, and the open state is not readily maintained despite the interposing member 5 having been inserted. In addition, the large amount of space required and material costs for the implement increase due to its large size; moreover, the fact that the implement is not recycled at the end of its service life leads to waste and ineffective use of resources. In addition, no means is provided for readily confirming that assembling has been successfully performed.